On 22nd December 2014, Dr Amir Liaquat once again incited religious hatred. On Geo TV’s ‘Subah Pakistan’ show together with a panel of ‘religious scholars’ they targeted the Ahmadi minority sect.
As a direct result of this hate filled discussion, on 27th December 2014, a 27 year old Ahmadi, Luqman Ahad Shehzad was gunned down in Bhiri Shah Rehman village, Gujranwala district.
In the morning show, Mullah Syed Arif Shah Owaisi said ‘there is a common enemy’, ‘an enemy of all of Pakistan’ and ‘this enemy is the sect of Qadiyani (Ahmadis)’. Amir Liaquat was in full agreement with these statements and encouraged the crowd to show appreciation. Amir Liaquat even went on to outrageously state ‘these Qadiyanis, with the help of the Jews were behind the Peshawar attack’. Most intelligent members of the public will quickly realise this to be completely false.
Initially in 2008, Amir Liaquat started his hate filled speeches against the Ahmadi sect on air. He stated ‘the Ahmadis are Wajibul Qatl (obligatory to kill)’ this led to the violent death of 2 Ahmadis afterwards.
In these times of terrorism and unrest, why do some people in the public eye feel the need to make the situation worse by empowering extremists and killing members of religious minorities? I also feel Geo TV has a responsibility to supervise the content being broadcast in a family show. Is having hate filled preachers, inciting religious violence with their lies appropriate?
I know the intelligent public of Pakistan will be able to make up their own minds about what is right and wrong. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. It is not for us to decide who is the ‘right type of Muslim’, our role is to follow the teachings and principles of Islam. We may escape the Judges and courts of the land, but one day we all will meet our maker God, the Almighty. He will ultimately hold us responsible for our actions.
In conclusion I wish to campaign against any TV program that incites violence against any religious minority in Pakistan. I quote ‘Quaid I Azam’, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, ‘You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed- that has nothing to do with the business of the State’.
